We all have them if we like to browse recipes...the stack, pile, file full of things we keep meaning to make. Looking over a few file folders chock full of recipes that I found yesterday while cleaning up in the studio, I sighed over some of the 'death by chocolate' ones that I probably shouldn't make considering my complete lack of willpower when it comes to chocolate, wondered that I would save a recipe on how to hull strawberries, and found my mouth watering over and over again as I read lots of good ones.
Out of the file I pulled one for a date quick bread from our local paper written in January of 1994. It was in an article all about recapturing frugal ingredients and rich flavors from the war years...as in World War II. It uses boiling water to soften the dates, melt the butter, and give the base for a moist, tender sweet bread, perfect for an afternoon snack.
The only changes I made to the ingredients was to use egg substitute instead of the two eggs called for, and to add some chopped walnuts. As for the method, I added the vanilla to the wet ingredients and added the nuts to the dry ingredients before I stirred them into the wet ones. Those changes were mostly to keep me from forgetting to add the vanilla and nuts.
The resulting bread was delightful!
One Bowl Date Quick Bread
by Flo Braker, cookbook author
1 1/4 cups boiling water
8 oz. (1 3/4 cups) pitted dates, chopped
4 oz. unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup walnuts, chopped1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten (or equivalent egg substitute)
Combine the boiling water, dates and butter in a large bowl. Stir until the butter melts. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
Sift together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Set aside.
Stir the vanilla into the cooled date mixture. Add the light brown sugar and the eggs. Stir to combine.
Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Don't over mix. Mixture may be a little thin. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, turn right side up and let cool completely on the rack.
To serve, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Makes about 24 slices.
One of my memories from childhood was sharing date nut bread, sliced and with a cream cheese between a pair of slices, with mom. The bread was canned, so this is bound to be better.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy, No Handle.